


Even Sunburns are Better With You

by melliejellie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Daichi Summer Lovefest, Day At The Beach, Established Relationship, Festivals, Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melliejellie/pseuds/melliejellie
Summary: Kuroo and Daichi are long-distance boyfriends and, when they visit one another, Kuroo always has a big schedule planned. Daichi likes it, but also just wants to spend a quiet day with him at home, enjoying cuddle time. An unlucky (lucky?) sunburn makes that happen.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi
Comments: 12
Kudos: 98
Collections: Daichi Love Fest





	Even Sunburns are Better With You

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Daichi Summer Lovefest!  
> The prompts I used were: beach dates, lazy days, and festival nights. Bingo!

Daichi braces himself for impact as Kuroo skips the rest of the stairs out of the station with a jump. In seconds there’s two strong, sweaty arms wrapped around him and he’s blushing with embarrassment as passengers walk by, but he doesn’t shake him loose. 

“Missed you, too.”

“You ready for our weekend?” Kuroo pulls back with a wide grin, practically bouncing with excitement.

Daichi nods, his own grin hiding the mixed feelings stewing inside.

The trouble is, Daichi only sees Kuroo about twice a month. It’s what they can afford on their shoestring student budgets. Plus, when they tried to visit more often, they both fell behind in their assignments and neither of them want to start university on a rocky start.

Daichi knew they would be long-distance. He was prepared for that.

It doesn’t mean he likes it. No. He’s living alone for the first time ever in his life and he finds that he misses the constant noise of his big family even while loving the fact that he can study in peace, walk around in his underwear, and have his crazy-haired boyfriend over without his sisters asking a million intrusive questions. He loves when Kuroo visits his space, sleeps in his bed, and leaves his scent lingering on everything for a few days, but he hates when the signs of Kuroo fade until their next visit.

They knew what they were agreeing to when they decided to date with their new futures already in progress. They were ready.

What he wasn’t prepared for, though, was how Kuroo would pack every single weekend with activities for them to do together.

_ “I’m squeezing all of our dates into two days!” _

For a couple of weeks, it was charming, like everything Kuroo does. But now it’s exhausting and Daichi doesn’t want to bring it up because it sounds like he’s complaining about how thoughtful his boyfriend is.

Truthfully, he loves all their weekend adventures, but he also wants to watch movies on his couch, accidentally take a nap, wake up, make out, and repeat.

But he’s not about to tell that to the bundle of romantic energy already tugging on his arm. “I’ll drop my stuff in a locker so we can go right away.”

“Where are we going?”

“The beach!” Kuroo smiles so wide, his eyes alight with anticipation.

Daichi laughs. “Sounds fun. I didn’t bring anything for that, though.”

“No problem,” Kuroo winks, “I got you covered.”

***

Having him “covered” turns out to mean that Kuroo bought him an outrageously loud pair of swim trunks. They’re covered in a very realistic looking hamburger and the meat takes up most of his legs and, well, more.

Daichi looks down at his hamburger legs and sighs, “Why do I have to wear these when yours are just red?”

Kuroo tilts his head, grinning. “Oh Dai, it’s ‘cause your ass is a snack.”

Daichi goes to playfully smack him, but Kuroo jumps out of the way, cackling like a maniac as he runs away from their spot on the beach and into the water.

“You forgot your sunscreen!” Daichi calls out after him.

“I didn’t forget! I just don’t care!” His feet his the water and it splashes and it splashes around him. He rushes into the water, crashing through the small waves in the bay, and immediately flops into the water once it’s just barely deep enough for him to sink under.

Daichi can’t help but smile. He’s an idiot, but he’s his idiot. And he’s going to get sunscreen on that body one way or another, after he takes care of himself, of course.

He’s just finished with his first layer when he sees wet, drippy feet approaching their towels. Daichi has about two seconds to react before Kuroo’s body is wrapped around his in a gritty, salty, over-enthusiastic hug.

“Tetsu, you’re wiping my sunscreen off!”

“Don’t worry, babe, I’ll keep you safe from the sun.”

“And how are you gonna do that?”

“Like this!” And Kuroo wraps his arms and legs around Daichi’s middle until they’re toppling over, half on the towel, half on the sand.

“Get off,” Daichi demands through his laughter, his eyes crinkling at the corners, “people are going to think we’re insane.”

Kuroo rolls to the side, landing on his back on his towel. “Don’t care. I’m just in such a good mood when I can see you.”

He holds out his hand, palm up, and Daichi places his inside, lacing their fingers together.

“Me, too.”

Daichi does, finally, get sunscreen on his boyfriend’s back, but he shows no respect for the rules on the packaging and definitely goes into the water well before it’s truly water-resistant.

He can’t blame him, though. Once he feels protected enough, Daichi takes his stupid hamburger shorts down to the water to join his boyfriend who’s currently floating face-down in the water like a dead body.

Throughout the afternoon they float on their backs and talk. They challenge each other to see who can hold their breath the longest. They take breaks from the water to build sandcastles (Daichi’s is way better, obviously) and eat the sandwiches Kuroo packed. They’re a little smooshed, but still delicious.

Daichi feels like a kid, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the beach and laughing until tears come to his eyes.

He’s seen Kuroo’s when he’s down, especially lately. He’s been overwhelmed adjusting to his coursework and sharing his time between his own studies and helping out his dad at his auto body shop. But there’s no evidence of any of that on Kuroo’s face today. He’s all smiles, laughs, and long, loving glances that make Daichi have to quickly look away before he blushes too red.

When it’s time for dinner and most of the families around them have already gone home, Daichi feels that warm, wonderful kind of tired that he only gets after being out in the sun in good company.

They end up eating at a little seaside cafe where the wind whips at their hair as they watch they sunset together.

It’s only later, once they’re on the train, that Daichi notices a problem.

“Tetsurou,” he says warily, “the back of your neck is-”

“Hm?” Kuroo yawns.

“It’s red. Like tomato red.”

Kuroo’s hand instinctively moves to clutch at it and he winces, realization dawning on his face. “Oh no.”

“Yeah and,” Daichi flips over his arms a few times in front of him, “judging by how I’m already turning a lovely shade a pink...”

***

Rubbing aloe vera gel on each other’s bodies wasn’t exactly the sexy start to their night that Daichi had originally planned, but he likes how it feels to take care of Kuroo and to have his needs cared for in return. He closes his eyes, swaying gently as Kuroo’s hands tenderly move over the skin on his back then up and around his shoulders, down his arms.

“You still with me, Dai?” Kuroo whispers against the shell of his ear.

Daichi nods sleepily. “Mmmhmm, just content.”

“Even with your skin on fire?”

“Yeah, your hands feel nice.”

Kuroo surprises him with a kiss on the back of his neck. “You keep saying stuff like that and these hands are going to want to do more than just rub you down in green gel.”

“You can try, but I don’t know how much you’re going to be able to do. You’re in worse shape than me.”

“Don’t worry, the hamburger protected some of your most important assets.”

Kuroo pauses and Daichi knows he’s waiting for his pun to be recognized. He snorts out a laugh and Kuroo sounds pleased.

“Okay, now do me,” Kuroo says, settling in front of Daichi and passing the bottle of aloe. He raises both eyebrows suggestively and smirks. Even with his shoulders red like a fresh tomato and his hair freshly deflated from the shower, he’ll always be the most handsome person Daichi’s ever seen.

It’s the most natural thing in the world to close his eyes and let them fall together, their lips touching sweetly and making Daichi’s heart jump almost as much as it did the very first time. He hopes his heart never gets used to these kisses. He hopes he always treasures each one.

***

“Ow, ow, ow owwww-” Kuroo whines, shifting slightly on the couch. He’s sprawled out like he’s melted, arms and legs askew because he’s trying to make sure no part of his body touches another part of his body.

“Do you need more aloe?”

Kuroo nods pitifully, his bottom lip out in a dramatic pout.

Daichi thought his would be worse than it was, but he ended up faring better, far better, than his boyfriend. While Daichi’s skin is pink and definitely going to peel in some places, some spots on Kuroo look downright painful.

With the day’s plans scrapped, Daichi tries not to feel too gleeful about staying in and enjoying some restful time together. He tries to frame it as looking on the bright side - yes, Kuroo’s plans were ruined and his skin is fighting him, but there’s always a silver lining, right? And this silver lining just happens to be getting take out and watching movies Daichi’s saved to watch with Kuroo for weeks.

So far today, Daichi’s made pancakes on his ridiculously tiny stove, they’ve caught up on a series Kuroo watched but wanted Daichi to see, too, and they’ve gotten take out from one of Kuroo’s favorite spots near Daichi’s apartment.

It’s perfectly pleasant, spare the sunburn, but as the day goes on, it’s clear from Kuroo’s wilting spirits that he’s upset from more than just the burn.

“It’s just, we’re wasting our weekend,” he admits when Daichi presses him to get at the heart of what’s wrong.

And Daichi would be lying if he said that didn’t sting a little. He’s loved today, all the little moments of just talking or simply being around each other has been nice. It’s made him forget that Kuroo lives miles away and that this isn’t their normal. On the rare days like this they get, it’s like he can pretend that this is their everyday, their life in their home, and Kuroo never has to get on a train to go sleep in another bed.

“Why do you think that?”

His boyfriend rolls his head to the side, still pressed against the couch, and looks over at him with big, sad eyes. “I just get so little time with you. I want every moment to be special.”

Daichi scoots closer, careful not to jostle him too much, and gently places a hand on top of his. “It already is special, you big nerd.” He smiles sweetly, “I don’t care what we do. I just want to do anything with you forever.”

“Forever?” Kuroo echos.

And Daichi realizes what he’s said. He must have been caught up in another reverie about them living together and this being another normal night. He pinches his lips together, nervous. Kuroo’s expression is tough to read.

“Uh, sorry. That was really extra. I don’t mean-” but he can’t bring himself to say  _ I don’t mean forever,  _ because he absolutely does. They haven’t been together that long, not even a full year yet, but he can’t imagine life without Kuroo there with him. “That was really extra. Sorry,” he says again.

“No.”

“What?”

“No it wasn’t extra.” Kuroo sits up, his face straining with effort as he turns to sit facing Daichi. His stare is intense, that same dark gaze that makes Daichi feel keyed up and calm all at once. “I want that, too. I want to do literally whatever with you for forever, too.”

And because the moment is suddenly too intense and he needs some distance, Daichi blurts, “even sunburns?”

Kuroo grins softly, “Yeah, Sa’amura. Even sunburns.”

***

The closer it gets to dinner, the louder Kuroo’s whining gets. “Wanted to take you to a festival. Festival dates are the most romantic. You gotta know that.”

“Oh yeah, that is tonight, isn’t it?” Daichi muses, remembering now all the signs he’s seen up. He knew it was around this time but, along with everything else tumbling around in his mind, he’d forgotten.

“And there’s fireworks. I really wanted to go with you.”

Daichi’s gotten what he wanted out of the day and Kuroo’s been really laying on the whole  _ forever _ stuff a little thick all afternoon and it’s got him feeling all warm and dopey, so he says, “Let’s go, then.”

Kuroo looks surprised. “But we feel terrible.”

“And maybe some games and delicious festival food will make us feel better.”

“Ooh, we should wear yukata! That’s peak dating right there,” Kuroo perks up immediately.

“You didn’t buy me a hamburger one, did you? Or something else meat related?”

Kuroo chuckles, “No. And I don’t have one either. Just seems like a missed opportunity. They are top-notch sexy.”

Daichi laughs, “Really? When I’m wrapped up in all those layers, tied up tight, that’s sexy?”

“It’s all that decorum, that tradition,” Kuroo grin turns sly, “makes me wanna mess you up.”

“Get up, you weirdo. We’re going.”

***

Daichi feels like Kuroo’s personal bodyguard as he guides him through the crowds so his poor skin doesn’t suffer anymore. From the looks of it, Kuroo likes the special treatment. He trots along beside him, letting Daichi carve their path through the people until Kuroo gets excited and insists that they stop and play a game.

“Stop rooting against me!” Kuroo fusses as he rips another paper goldfish net. His face is twisted in determination, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth, set on winning his boyfriend a new pet.

“I don’t want you to win me a responsibility.”

“Fine then,” he stands up, dusting off his shorts from where he was crouching, “how about that?” Kuroo points to another nearby booth where there’s a huge stuffed octopus hanging in the corner.

Daichi laughs, “I don’t need that either.”

But when they sit down on the curb to eat all their festival favorites, there’s three of them - Kuroo, Daichi, and the big, red, yet-unnamed octopus.

“You, me, and Octi make three,” Kuroo scrunches up his face. “No, that’s too obvious. You, me, and-”

“Just eat your takoyaki. I know you’re hungry.”

“How dare you talk about eating  _ you know what _ in front of _ our son. _ ”

Daichi takes a sip from his beer and throws a balled up napkin at him.

“No-” Kuroo cries out dramatically, “my skin. My poor skin. You’re such a brute, Daichi.”

Daichi reaches over into his plastic container and stabs at a piece of takoyaki, bringing it up to Kuroo’s lips.

“Ah, but I guess you’re all soft and squishy when it counts,” he grins and opens wide, letting Daichi feed him. As he chews, he looks way too happy from the gesture and Daichi can feel a blush creeping up his neck.

“Perfect night,” Kuroo sighs once he’s done.

“Besides the sunburn.”

“Well yeah, every time my shirt moves weird I’m in agony, but still weirdly happy.” Kuroo reaches over to grab some yakisoba from Daichi’s open container and he lifts it to his lips. Daichi opens his mouth and Kuroo looks positively giddy at the chance to feed him, too.

He swallows and admits, “Weirdly happy is a good way to describe us.”

***

When the fireworks start, Daichi takes Kuroo’s hand and leads him up to the rooftop of a shopping center.

“I used to come here with my friends to watch the fireworks,” he says in the damp smelling stairwell just before they burst out in time to see gold sparks dance across the sky.

The rooftop is a well-kept secret. It’s a little off the main street and doesn’t have a perfect view, but there’s hardly any people up there and the quiet space makes for a perfect place to sit back and watch the show.

Daichi thinks back to the last summer he was here. Suga and Asahi were the ones sitting beside him that time. He feels a pang in his heart thinking about how different their lives had gotten in so little time.

Kuroo scoots closer to him, their shoulders almost touching.

He turns and smiles, waiting until there’s a break in the action before he says, “I’m glad I’m here with you tonight.”

“We could do this always, you know.”

“Go to festivals?”

“Well, yeah. And everything else together. Forever, right?”

Daichi feels a warmth blooming in his chest that he knows is spreading a blush up to the tips of his ears as he feels Kuroo slips their hands together.

He glances over, suddenly stunned by the colors reflecting in Kuroo’s eyes, childish wonder on his face. He must stare for too long without responding because Kuroo turns, eyebrow quirked in question.

Daichi must be wearing some dopey grin on his face because Kuroo’s expression melts into a soft, tender look seconds before he leans in and steals a kiss.

A big burst of red takes over the sky and Daichi smiles, “Yeah, Tetsu, forever.”

**Author's Note:**

> After loving kurodai for approximately 800 years, I've finally written a fic for them. Take my offering of fic, you lovely captain-ship, you. I hope you enjoyed some fluffy, summer fun where Daichi gets the love HE DESERVES.
> 
> Kudos, comments, and bookmarks never fail to make me smile (and I always reply to comments!).
> 
> Chat with me on Twitter - [@HeyMellieJellie](https://twitter.com/HeyMellieJellie). I scream about haikyuu and post story threads, too!


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